PlatformsAccess

The NNF Platforms are available to research institutes, scientists and pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and provide the infrastructure required to take research from concept through to clinical trials for a fraction of the cost required to establish an independent facility with the same services. All applications for access are assessed by the appropriate Platform Management Committee and Access Fees, Access Priority and Intellectual Property arrangements are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. After an application has been assessed by the Platform Management Committee, applicants will be contacted and informed of a proposed schedule for access and an access fee estimate.

Access Fees
The Access Fee is the cost the applicant will pay for access to the facilities and expertise provided by the Platform.

The following factors are taken into consideration by the Platform Management Committee when determining access fees:
Cost Recovery - incorporates the costs of consumables, labour and expertise fees and administration costs
Type of Applicant - costs may differ according to whether the applicant is a commercial entity, a researcher or group conducting research through an affiliated institute or research program, a student and so on.
Level of Support - costs will differ according to the degree of input required from scientific, technical and administration personnel within the platform in preparation for, during and as a consequence of access
Additional costs - other costs arising that contribute to platform expenses, which occur prior to, during and after the period of access


Access Priority
Due to simultaneous requests for access to some facilities, Platform Management Committees are sometimes forced to prioritise access applications based on the current commitments of the platform and future scheduled commitments.

Priority is given to those researchers and groups which are affiliated to or funded by Neurosciences Australia Ltd and Neurosciences Victoria Ltd. All other applications are prioritised on a case-by-case basis.

Intellectual Property Arrangements
Neurosciences Australia Ltd has established intellectual property management mechanisms, which are committed to achieving a balance between the protection of IP and the use of IP to advance neuroscience research.

The institutes, which manage platform facilities and provide platform expertise, will define and make available any background IP that is necessary for the operation of the platform. Ownership of this IP remains with those institutes. When a Platform Access Application form is received, the background IP to be made available for the applicant's access will be specified.

In applying for access, applicants will be asked to agree on suitable terms for ownership of any intellectual property created during the access period. Where IP is created as a result of the platform user's own expertise, it is expected that ownership of the IP will remain with that user. However, if platform personnel have contributed to the creation of the IP, it will be jointly owned. Ownership and downstream equity entitlements will be defined on a case-by-case basis during the application process.

During the period of access, all platform users and platform personnel will complete laboratory notebooks.

To apply for access go to the Platform Access Application Form

 
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